A quick release vest that may be simply and quickly removed in an emergency situation. The vest is particularly usable in tactical and military operations.
Vests, particularly those used in tactical and military operations are well known. The vests are used to carry personal supplies and equipment, for example, ammunition clips, flashlights, radios and first aid supplies. The vest can also be used to carry bullet resistant armor to help protect the wearer from being wounded in vital body areas. However, the vests have drawbacks. In older vests, one problem encountered was that the weight of the vest, when loaded with supplies, has caused soldiers to drown not only because of the weight of the vest, but also because of the soldiers inability to quickly remove the vest in an emergency situation.
Proposals have been made to improve such vests. Such a vest is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,570. The vest disclosed in this patent can also permit cutaway of the vest, that is, the front and rear portions can separate completely from one another while the waist belt and cummerbund have an end that separates from at least one of the front and rear portions. This vest uses a single cable, single point of release construction. While providing an advance in the art, the structure of the vest of U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,570 can present problems under some circumstances of use.
One problem in the use of the above discussed vest is that when the release system is activated, the vest is in at least two disconnected pieces. Thus, the original wearer of the vest, in order to regain possession and take the vest with him/her, must pick up a plurality of parts which may be difficult in some situations, like, when under hostile fire. The leaving behind of a vest and its supplies may be critical to the survival of the vest wearer. Thus, there is a need for an improved vest.